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Support for Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Riga

Photo: Alexander Welscher / dpa

Latvia has declared Oleg Zykov, a diplomat at the Russian embassy in Riga, persona non grata and expelled him from the country. At the request of the Foreign Ministry, the diplomat must leave the Baltic EU and NATO state by April 10th. The appointed chargé d'affaires of the Russian representation was informed about this, it said in a statement on Wednesday. The expulsion was justified by the embassy's "unacceptable and provocative public communication," which took place over a long period of time and was in strong contradiction to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Despite repeated reprimands, the Russian mission carried out inaccurate public communication aimed at discrediting state institutions in Latvia and stirring up hatred in society, the statement continued. The Foreign Ministry did not provide any further information. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine a good two years ago, Latvia also feels threatened by Russia.

In February, Latvia reaffirmed its support for Ukraine. The members of parliament agreed that Ukraine would be supported until it wins. Latvia, as well as its other Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, fear that they could also become victims of Russian aggression after Ukraine. The three countries turned to the West after the fall of the Soviet Union and have been part of the NATO defense alliance since 2004.

Deportations for those who refuse to speak

A large minority of Russian origin lives in Latvia, which borders Russia to the east. At the beginning of the year, the Baltic country announced that it would deport Russians who live in the country but do not speak Latvian. Up to 3,000 people could be affected. Around a quarter of the population in Latvia with 1.9 million inhabitants belongs to the Russian-speaking minority. Many people in the other Baltic states of Estonia and Lithuania are stateless or have a Russian passport. They came to the Baltics during communist times, when the three republics were forced to be part of the Soviet Union.

Moscow, once the center of power for the Baltics, has been complaining for years that Russians are being discriminated against there.

czl/dpa